1. Field
The present invention relates to a storage device that is connected to a superior device via a given interface, and to a method of starting the storage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional storage system offering a large memory or storage capacity has been in use. In this storage system, a storage device (hereinafter, “extension device”) for providing an additional storage medium is connected to a storage device (hereinafter, “base device”) having a storage medium plus a controller controlling external access thereto to achieve large memory capacity.
Extension devices are connected in series in such a way that a first extension device is connected to a base device and a second extension device is connected to the first extension device.
To operate such a storage system normally, an operator must start the base device first, and then start the extension devices in decreasing order from the extension device closest to the base device.
Specifically, the operator operates the storage system normally by pressing power switches disposed on the bodies of the base device and the extension devices in order without fail. If, for example, the operator forgets to press a power switch of any extension device in the course of start operation, the extension devices are not started in order. As a result, the base device recognizes only some of the extension devices, so that the storage system does not operate normally.
When a number of extension devices are connected to the base device, the above operation is extremely burdensome to the operator.
To reduce burden on the operator, various methods of starting the storage system with a simple procedure have been suggested.
For example, a method has been suggested such that, in a body incorporating storage media therein, at which location a storage medium is incorporated is detected, and that the order of power supply is determined based on a detection result and a preset algorithm to supply power according the determined order (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-213584).
According to the above conventional method, however, each device is started in an order that is determined based on the position of incorporation of the storage medium. As a result, the extension device closest to the base device is not necessarily started first in starting extension devices in order, which leads to the problem that the storage system does not operate normally.